Psychopath
A psychopath is a person who is incapable of sympathy or empathy and takes no responsibility for his/her actions. They are often grandiose, meaning that they consider themselves above others. Psychopaths are characterized as being remorseless and narcissistic, and also may appear to be a "blank slate" when in the depths of their pathology. Traits As stated before, people of this personality disorder may display no empathy towards others and no remorse or guilt. However, they can mimic emotions almost perfectly to further their own personal agendas, are very skilled in the arts of deception, and may actually appear charming, friendly, or even likable. Some psychopaths will engage in severe antisocial behavior, such as murder (even serial or mass murder), animal cruelty, or sexual crimes. Conversely, some never do at all and the manifestation of their pathology is limited to non-criminal behavior such as promiscuity, cheating, or lying. Sociopath A sociopath is a person with a form of ASPD (Anti-Social Personality Disorder) that has developed based on their environment and/or surroundings, whereas psychopaths are born with psychopathic personality disorder. It is vital to acknowledge the difference between ASPD and psychopathy; ASPD is characterized by antisocial behaviors, while psychopathy is a combination of behavioral traits and interpersonal traits. Psychopaths easily meet the criteria for ASPD and psychopathy, while individuals with ASPD meet the criteria for that particular condition but not psychopathy. Sociopaths are like psychopaths in the sense that they are incapable of feeling empathy, guilt, and remorse. Unlike psychopaths, they aren't as capable of feigning emotions, and are unable to maintain social relationships and hold down a steady job. The chances of them feeling love for somebody else is also more likely than the odds of a psychopath feeling love for somebody else, although this is possible in both cases. Sociopathic serial killers are extremely disorganized and are much easier to catch than psychopathic serial killers, who are obsessively organized. Sociopaths are extremely prone to violent bursts of anger and cannot appear to be normal while psychopaths can keep their anger bottled up for excessive amounts of time and are masters at the art of deception. Sociopaths also differ from psychopaths in the sense that the former cannot plan ahead while the latter is a master at planning ahead. Treatment There are currently no medical or medicinal treatments for psychopathy, and talk therapy only serves to further the ability to mimic emotions. There is believed to be a genetic propensity in the cases of psychopathy, as the trait appears to run in families. As a possible genetic disorder, there may never be an effective treatment. It must be observed that one possible common cause of psychopathy is abuse. Diagnosis Aggressive Narcissism #Glibness/superficial charm #Grandiose sense of self-worth #Pathological lying #Cunning/manipulative #Lack of remorse or guilt #Emotionally shallow #Callous/lack of empathy #Failure to accept responsibility for own actions #Placing blame on others Social Deviance #Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom #Parasitic lifestyle #Poor behavioral control #Promiscuous sexual behavior #Lack of realistic, long-term goals #Impulsiveness #Irresponsibility #Juvenile delinquency #Early behavioral problems #Revocation of conditional release Examples Known psychopaths and sociopaths: On Beyond Borders To be added Other Fiction *Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) *Norman Bates (Psycho) *Dimentio (Super Paper Mario) is referred to by Tippi as a psychopath. *In the BBC drama Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes is labelled a psychopath, to which he replies, "I am a high-functioning sociopath." His nemesis, Professor James Moriarty, on the other hand, is a clear-cut example of a psychopath and proudly admits it. *The Joker (Batman and related DC Comics media) *Dexter Morgan (Dexter series of novels) is a self-proclaimed sociopath. *Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI) *Diogenes Pendergast (Preston-Child series of novels) Further Reading *Wikipedia's article on psychopathy *Understanding the Psychopath Category:Mental Illness